Exploring Glasson

The weather on Good Friday spoilt our plans to take a walk around the reservoirs in Roddlesworth Woods, between Tockholes and Abbey Village near where we live. It's a popular place for walking and we were keen to go and stretch our legs there, but the rain arrived at just the wrong time, so we stayed indoors instead. Fortunately the weather on Easter Sunday, particularly on the coast was much improved, that's where we headed.

These days Glasson is popular with tourists, especially when the weather is good. The boats in the marina are always colourful, there are a number of shops, pubs and cafes on the quayside and there are plenty of options for walks if you want to stretch your legs. We arrived just before noon and the car park was already filling up.

After lunch on a picnic table overlooking the water, we headed off away from the boats by following the route of the old railway line, which curves alongside the Lune for about a mile or so to a bridge over the water at Condor Green. The railway connecting Glasson to Lancaster was built in 1883 and carried cargoes of china clay, molasses and timber brought into Glasson from across the Empire. The railway closed in the '60s and the old track bed is now part of the Lancashire Coastal Way path and cycleway.

Our route took us past the Stork pub at Condor Green, an old coaching house dating from 1660. These days it's very popular with walkers and bikers, and there were plenty folk outside today enjoying refreshments in the sunshine. From here we crossed fields to eventually reach the canal for the walk back to the marina.

The canal came to Glasson in 1826 and it quickly boosted trade at the docks, which peaked in 1840 whe over 180 ships used the canal*. The canal is a spur from the main line of the Lancaster Canal and is around 5 miles in length. Although trade declined considerably in the 20th century, there was still plenty of shipping using Glasson right up to the 1970s. Nowadays though, the canal branch is used by leisure boats, and today we watched the Loie Fuller, a barge registered in Watford, navigate the two sets of locks between Galgate and the marina.

On our return to the marina, we took a stroll down to the commercial part of the docks, where tucked away behind the Dalton Arms is the well respected Port of Lancaster Smokehouse, which sells a range of tasty smoked produce such as fish, bacon, cheese and garlic, as well plenty of preserves and biscuits. Before heading back to the car with our shopping, we walked round to the seaboard side of the docks, where upon climbing a very gentle hill, the views across to Sunderland Point and beyond to the sea are superb.

A lovely day out in great weather, and we had our smoked treats to take back home with us too!


* Taken from a small booklet "Glasson Dock Through the Ages" published in 1980 and available from the cafe in the village.